Intern Recording Challenge: Hard Sound Effects

A COLLABORATIVE POST WITH INTRODUCTION BY JACOB COOK

This month, I wanted to continue challenging our interns to improve their recording skills and get creative so I devised a recording assignment that would require them to think outside the studio! Each intern selected 2 sound effects from a list of easy to record materials(basic foley props, things around the office) and 2 from a list of harder to record sounds(nature ambience, elevator doors, quiet sounds, etc). Colin and Dilery both did an awesome job, so lets hear about their results!

Dilery Corona

What are the 4 sound effects you chose to record and why?

I chose to record dropped objects, a lamp switch, running water, and roomtone. I mostly choose these because it seemed like a good balance between easy and hard. The dropped objects and switch I recorded within an hour, but the other two involved researching, driving time, and asking for permission. I added library walla since i got some of it while recording the roomtone.

Which of the sound effects ended up being the most challenging to record and why?

The library roomtone/walla, just because I had to get permission to record. Having to wait around 35 minutes to get approved when the recording was going to take around 10 maybe 15 minutes. Also, I thought that recording a library was going to be a quick and easy, but I had to wait around a bit more just because there were a few people who would start talking randomly for long periods of time.

Which was the most fun to record?

I would saw a combination of the dropped objects and running water! For me, it was weird to drop things on purpose and just funny watching people stare at me recording a fountain in front of city hall.

If you were to undertake recording these same 4 sound effects again, what would you dodifferently?

Probably the dropped objects, just because i would try and record different things instead of recording the first few things I saw or thought of.

Colin Grant

What are the 4 sound effects you chose to record, and why?

Truck Pass by; I haven’t recorded many vehicles before. Cloth Whip; I wanted the challenge getting the whip sound without too much wind getting in the way. Metal Impact; The trash bin outside is this old creaking giant metal item, so I thought it’d make a good sound. Toilet Flush; It seems like a nice flowing sound to capture.

Which of the sound effects ended up being the most challenging to record and why?

The Truck Pass by. I had to choose between picking a fairly quiet street and hoping a truck will pass by, or a busy street and deal with other vehicles.

Which sound do you think is most useful or valuable to you as an editor?

The Metal Impacts. You can never have to many variations of a good impact.

If you had to choose another sound effect to the Hard list to record, which would you choose and why?

Body fall. It seems like it would be really fun to experiment different ways to get a good impact.

What do you think are the most essential and valuable hard sound effects for sound editors? Let us know in the comments!